id an inch or so matter in the end?

In Arethusa's simple soul, even with her "love of gew-gaws," as Miss
Eliza phrased it, there was no smallest room for envy. This white
garment of hers had been bought and made for a party dress, and it was
the most party "party dress" she had ever possessed; her mother's black
gown was plainly a party dress also: therefore, to Arethusa's mind,
they were similarly arrayed for an Occasion. She could admire
whole-heartedly the soft sweep of the folds of Elinor's gown without
one iota of unhappiness because her own frock hung in straight thick
gathers with but a ruffle edged with lace at the bottom of the skirt
for its trimming.

"I put on my Best Dress," she said happily, "because it was your
Anniversary. I know Aunt 'Liza would say I should have put on my blue
silk, but it's so dark, and it's not dress-up a bit."

Elinor and Ross exchanged glances, but forebore to smile at the "best
dress." Somehow she appealed to them both more at this very moment than
she had in any mood shown before.

Ross sprang from his chair and recklessly denuded a large bowl on the
big mahogany table of most of its burden of pink roses, and gallantly
presented them to his daughter to put in her green belt, so that she
might also be wearing the Anniversary Flowers.

"For the Queen Rose in the rosebud garden of girls," he said, with a
low, sweeping bow as he presented them, which enraptured Arethusa. And
the words had a vaguely familiar sound, as of poetry. Arethusa adored
poetry.

Yet the warm-hearted blossoms themselves, thought Ross, were really no
more fresh and glowing than the girl whose fluttering fingers strove to
tuck them in the ribbon around her waist just as Elinor had her cluster
arranged.

"Bless her heart!" said Elinor to herself, as she noted Arethusa's
little glance at the flowers she wore and the little effort at
imitation. "And she shall have a real party frock to-morrow. The very
prettiest I can find!"

When George, the African Butler, an imposing personage of almost
unnatural blandness, a few moments later announced dinner as served, to
Arethusa's view he appeared to be dressed for the Party also. She was
gladder then than ever that she had gone up and changed her dress.

The round dining-table with its gleaming silver and glass, the tall,
ivory-colored candles, burning without shades in silver candlesticks,
and the huge centerpiece (of the Flowers of the Occasion) was far more
of